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Omicron Delta Kappa
|birthplace = Washington and Lee University |type = Honor society |emphasis = |scope = |mission = |vision = |motto = |maxim = |member badge = |pledge pin = |colony badge = |colony pledge pin = |colors = Sky Blue, White, Black |symbol = |flag = |flower = Blue delphinium |tree = |jewel = |mascot = |patron greek divinity = |publication = |philanthropy = |charterdate = |chartercity = |chapters = 310 |colonies = |members = |lifetime = 300,000 |factoid = |object = |free = |address = 224 McLaughlin Street |city = Lexington |state = Virginia |country = USA |homepage = |footnotes = }} Omicron Delta Kappa, or ΟΔΚ, also known as The Circle, or more commonly ODK, is a national leadership honor society in the United States. It was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, by 15 student and faculty leaders. Chapters, known as Circles, are located on over 300 college campuses. The society recognizes achievement in the five areas of scholarship; athletics; campus/ community service, social/religious activities, and campus government; journalism, speech and the mass media; and creative and performing arts. ODK is a quasi-secret society in regards to the way its members are selected and kept secret for a period of time. Membership in the Omicron Delta Kappa Society is regarded as one of the highest collegiate honors that can be awarded to an individual, along with Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Beta Kappa. Some Circles limit membership to less than the top one quarter of one percent of students on their respective campuses. History Founding On the evening of December 3, 1914, the Omicron Delta Kappa Society was founded by fifteen men who gathered in a small office on the third floor of Reid Hall on the campus of Washington and Lee University. J. Carl Fisher first brought up the idea of creating such a society with close friend Rupert Latture. The two soon included mutual friend William Brown in the discussion, and thus these three men are referred to as the three principal founders of the society. Together with three faculty members, including the president of the University and the dean of Engineering, these men gradually selected nine additional men to affiliate with them. The complete list of the fifteen founders is as follows. *James Edwin Bear, ΒΘΠ, editor of the student magazine *William Moseley Brown, ΔΚΕ, ΦΒΚ, debater, president of YMCA *Carl Shaffer Davidson, ΚΣ, student instructor in civil engineering *Edward Parks Davis, ΚΣ, athlete *Edward A. Donahue, ΦΚΣ, captain of football and baseball *Dr. De la Warr Benjamin Easter, ΚΣ, ΦΒΚ, professor and first president of ΟΔΚ *James Carl Fisher, business manager of the student magazine, established campus radio station *Philip Pendleton Gibson, ΠΚΑ, president of student government, editor of student newspaper *Thomas McPheeters Glasgow, ΦΔΘ, orator, athlete *David Carlisle Humphreys, FIJI, professor and dean of the School of Applied Science *Rupert Nelson Latture, ΔΥ, ΦΒΚ, president of the YMCA *John Eppes Martin, ΑΧΡ, business manager of the year book *William Caulfield Raftery, ΦΚΣ, athlete *John Purver Richardson, Jr., ΣΧ, instructor in biology *Dr. Henry Louis Smith, ΦΔΘ, ΦΒΚ, president of Washington and Lee University All fifteen men were prominent leaders on campus, and they rallied around the idea that all-around leadership in college should be recognized, that representative men in all phases of college life should cooperate in worthwhile endeavor, and that outstanding students and faculty should meet on a basis of mutual interest and understanding. The founders also insisted that ODK would not simply be another society in which members would simply earn a Key and then be finished. Members of ODK would be expected to remain active in campus politics, in upholding spiritual and moral values, and in rendering service to the campus and community. The founders decided that the society would be kept a complete secret until keys could be designed and produced. A few days after returning from the winter holiday, the keys arrived, and on January 15, 1915, each man wore the key on campus for the first time, and the first public announcement of the establishment of Omicron Delta Kappa was made in the student newspaper on that same day. As stated in the announcement, the society would be publicly known as "The Circle," because the Greek letters have secret significance known only to the members."Commemorating the Silver Anniversary, Omicron Delta Kappa Fraternity, 1914-1939" Purpose of the Society The Purpose of the Society is threefold: * First, to recognize those who have attained a high standard of efficiency in collegiate activities and to inspire others to strive for conspicuous attainments along similar lines; * Second, to bring together the most representative students in all phases of collegiate life and thus to create an organization which will help to mold the sentiment of the institution on questions of local and intercollegiate interest; * Third, to bring together members of the faculty and student body of the institution, as well as other Omicron Delta Kappa members, on a basis of mutual interest and understanding. Women in ODK Only men could become members of Omicron Delta Kappa for the first sixty years of the society. At the 1970 and 1972 National Conventions, the University of Alabama Circle introduced an amendment to the National Constitution to admit women into the Society. In June 1972, Title IX of the "Education Amendments Act of 1972" prohibited sex discrimination in federally assisted educational programs and amended parts of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Professional and honor fraternities were included in Title IX. The Special Committee on the Possible Role of Women met in January 1973 and recommended changes to the National Constitution that would abolish segregation based on gender within the Society. On March 12, 1974. the National Convention convened in New Orleans and approved the initiation of women into the Society. On that date, the first women members were recognized by the Society. They were: the Newark College of Engineering Circle-Carolyn Julia Kucinski and Diane Christine Ragosa; University of South Florida Circle - Robbie Lynn Cooney, Maria Dolores Delvalle. Roxane R. Dow. Catherine Ann Rohrbacher. Karen Diane Janzer, Linda Ann Touten, Martha Gwyn Van Deman, and Cathy Sue Welch. Cheryl Hogle was elected as the first woman National President at the Convention in Knoxville, Tennessee on February 25, 1998. After serving four terms as a Faculty Province Director and two terms as National Vice President for Extension, she was elected by unanimous vote of the Convention."Women in ODK" On June 26, 2010, the ODK National Leadership Summit and Convention elected Dr. Betsy Holloway as the 34th National President, the second female to be elected. On March 22, 1992, the National Convention passed a resolution authorizing the incorporation of the Society. On July 1, 1992, the Omicron Delta Kappa Society was merged into the corporation, The Omicron Delta Kappa Society, Inc. Rivalry with Mortar Board Prior to the passage of Title IX, outstanding women leaders were tapped into a similar society for women known as Mortar Board. Mortar Board was established just a few years after ODK, in 1918, and it stood for many similar ideals and purposes. With the passage of Title IX; however, ODK was now required to accept women into membership, and Mortar Board was required to accept men. As a result, the two organizations found themselves competing to tap many of the same outstanding student leaders on college campuses, and what once existed as two complementary societies grew into rivalry at many institutions of higher learning. While the rivalry sometimes becomes fierce during membership selection times, at other times during the year it takes a more congenial tone as the two organizations often compete in service, athletics, or other campus events. Membership selection To be eligible for membership in OΔΚ, an individual must obtain at least junior or senior academic standing. Unlike Phi Beta Kappa, which limits membership to the liberal arts & sciences, ΟΔΚ is open to students of all areas of study, but they must exhibit outstanding leadership distinction in at least one of the five areas of scholarship, athletics, campus/community service, social/religious activities, and campus government; journalism, speech and the mass media; and creative and performing arts. Members may be chosen either annually or semi-annually depending on the traditions of the individual Circles. The number of students selected each year is limited to, at the most, less than 3% of the total undergraduate population, but most Circles limit membership to less than the top one quarter of one percent of students on their respective campuses. Unlike most college honor societies that accept all potential members who meet the selection criteria and pay the required fees, ΟΔΚ only chooses a very select group from a pool of potential and qualified students through a process known as tapping. Once a Circle votes on the individuals to be tapped for membership, the selection is kept secret from all except for those who have been chosen for initiation. Once the chosen candidates are tapped, they must also keep their selection secret until such time when their selection is revealed to the campus and community in a public ceremony. Prior to this public revealing ceremony, the new members are initiated into the bonds of the society through the private ritual of the society. At some institutions where several elite societies are in place that tap new members, such as the University of Missouri, the public revealing ceremony is combined with those other highly selective or secret societies to become a large annual Tap Day ceremony on campus. Circles The practice of designating Circles with Greek letter names was abandoned in 1949. Members who have died are said to have entered the Eternal Circle. Virginia Glee Club members References External links *Official Circle Website *Like Omicron Delta Kappa on Facebook *Follow Omicron Delta Kappa's Tweets on Twitter *Link with 5,500+ members of the ODK Circle on LinkedIn *ODK (Omicron Delta Kappa) Collection (MUM00598) at the University of Mississippi, Archives and Special Collections. Category:Honor societies Category:1914 establishments Category:1925 establishments